Her heart pounded as she ran. Her breath coming in ragged gasps as she tracked her elusive prey. Long slender legs and calloused feet stepped agilely and with purpose amongst the refuse of the forest floor. She could sense her prey was near, the scent of its stink lingering in her nose. Following its trail she came upon a swath of destruction within the forest. Trees lay broken and strewn about, their thick trunks snapped and splintered.
Sweat clung to her skin as she slunk low to the ground moving steadily towards a clearing created by some hulking beast. Her body sank lower and lower till she was crawling towards the edge of the treeline. Long grasses protected her from sight and she had made certain the wind was in her favour as she continued her way onwards. Slowly and ever so carefully she inched her way forward and finally looked out upon her prey.
A hulking form sat sleeping soundly within the artificial clearing. Its vast form lay breathing deeply, surrounded by the broken and shattered remains of trees. The devastation speaking of the creatures immense strength made the huntress smile to herself, this would be a good hunt. Her dark eyes scanned the borders of the forest, searching for anything or anyone who might hinder her in her hunt. Her long ears listened to the steady breathing of the beast making certain it was deeply asleep, enough that she would be able to maintain the element of surprise for a little while longer.
After a time she decided that there was nothing nearby to hinder her and she began the slow yet steady crawl into the clearing. The creatures body lay lengthwise to her with its long neck and head facing away from her. She bit her lip as the realization she would have to move into the wind to get near enough to the head and get her shot off. While the creature was herbivorous she didn’t dare to wake it.
The long tail stretching out from behind the beast could easily take her life and she didn’t have any desire to die an early or embarrassing death. But the temptation of successfully killing her first long neck was too much for her to resist and the risk of her death was not enough to sway her. She would make a name for herself with this kill, and her village would be well fed for a time.
She once more continued on her way. Carefully she climbed over or crawled beneath felled trees larger around than she stood tall. Making sure each step she took was carefully placed and as silent as she possibly could. As she stalked forward she couldn’t help but become pensive and reminisce on why she had come to be here. In her village she was a skilled huntress, not the best but certainly capable. The only problem was her people considered her far to young to be counted amongst the other hunters and huntresses.
Even though her skills and abilities out matched many of those who were already fully fledged they still wouldn’t let her become one of their number. She had lived for over fourteen thousand turns of the sun already and while still young for her people she was by far not the youngest in their history to become a hunter, but she was the first of truly high status to try. Perhaps it was her mothers doing or maybe it truly was that she was too young but regardless of the reasons she would prove them wrong. She would be a huntress and she would make a name for herself. But first she would need to kill a long neck to prove her abilities.
As she moved forward and started stepping upwind into the gentle breeze sweeping through the clearing her breath caught as she listened intently for any reaction from the beast. Her long ears twitching for any small signs of wakefulness. It was now the most dangerous period of her hunt. With time no longer on her side she must be swift about her movements but it would not do to be careless, with so many ways for things to go wrong dying by stepping on a loose twig or rock and breaking her neck would be even more embarrassing than dying to the long necks great tail.
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Her skills were being tested their hardest this day and the thrill of the hunt thrummed through her body, fueling her forward. She was approaching the peak moment of danger for the hunt now, the great leviathans head was in site with the wind still at her back. Suddenly she froze as the great beasts breath caught and its heart beat quickened. It's vast bulk shuddering slightly as it began to shift restlessly. She stood still, frozen in place, yet ready to run at a moments notice. It took one then another deep breath and settled back into the rhythm of slumber.
Things had gotten too risky, any closer and she knew it would awaken. Judging she was close enough to make the kill she unslung the hunters bow that had till then rested across her back. Made from the wood of the great golden tree of her home, her father had gifted her the bow when she had come of age and she would finally put it to its proper use. Kneeling in the tall grass that surrounded her she placed four arrows upon the ground within easy reach should she need them. Knocking a fifth arrow she took aim down range towards the head of the great beast.
On any creature one would normally aim for the heart to kill but with the sheer bulk of a long neck a heart shot would be nigh impossible. The muscle mass alone would make any arrow stop dead long before it could reach its target. No, the only way to kill a long neck safely was with an arrow to the head. While its skull was thick and its brain small it was the only way to make certain the beast was quickly and safely dispatched. But even if a single arrow could guarantee her kill it was unwise to trust in it alone. So as she slowly and carefully raised herself back up and the drew string back she spoke for the first time.
“ALtruath Emagar Etrenu Valraith Emessag” With each word she could feel power building within her body. It flooded into her like raging waters. Energy filled her with strength she wouldn’t normally posses and igniting a fire within her belly. Her senses sharpened beyond their natural capabilities, the world around her becoming clearer as if a veil had been lifted from her senses.
She could hear the blood flowing within her targets veins and the movement of insects within the tall grass. She could smell the scents of creatures that had passed through the area days before blending with the musk of the long necks scent spread around the clearing. The course fibers of the bows string as she drew it back and the feeling of the grasses brushing against her leg more real than she had ever known before. With her focus on the target down range she could see even the smallest details upon her targets head, the small wrinkles and creases over its greyish skin. The strength of the power flowing within her was intoxicating. It gasped and clawed at her to drown her in its embrace. But before it could take hold of her mind and senses she spoke the last of the words and channelled the power into the knocked arrow.
Breathing deeply she then slowly released and held her breath for a few moments, and then, with but a twitch of her fingers she loosed the arrow. The arrow filled with the power channelled into it flew straight and true towards its target. Flying faster than any arrow should it crossed the distance to its target in the blink of an eye and penetrated deeply into the long necks skull. With an earth shattering cry the great creature raised its head to the sky as it momentarily reacted. Then with a last shudder as its head hit the ground once more it ceased to move, death having finally caught up with it.
Releasing the breath she had been holding her excitement at the kill threatened to overwhelm her. Even though it had been asleep a long neck was still a truly great prize and the one she had slain would be enough to prove her worth as a huntress. But now was not the time to let her success get her killed. She needed to quickly send the signal for her people to come and aid in the removal of her kill. It would not take long till the predators within the forest caught the scent of death and came searching for an easy meal.
“Mela Turlong Avree” with a quick chant she raised her bow to the sky once more and drew back the string. An arrow of light appeared between her fingers and she loosed it straight into the sky where it burst into a brilliant ball of light whose radiance would inform others of her kill and guide them her way. But until they arrived she had a carcass to begin cleaning and there was much to clean.